Folding machine



Jun. 1

F W w W March 22, 1932. G. E. WILLIAMSON FOLDING MACHINE Filed March 7, 1928 Patented 22, 1932 cnonon a. w'nmrntson,

- cnmnmr coaronarron,

Application, fled l re 7,

This invention relates to folding the margins of pieces of sheet material such, for; example, as parts of the uppers of boots and shoes.

" 6 In the-manufacture of'boots and shoes it is customary to .fold certain margins of certain parts for example the front and top margins of quarters and the. rear margins of tips in order a 10 edges thereon. .-Two procedures are In common use. In the first, the margin of the shoe part is skived, a coating of cement a plied to the margin, and then the margin is olded. In the other a narrow, binding1str1p-usual- 15 1y of fabric-is sewed along t e edge of the shoe part, cement is applied, and then the strip is folded about the edge of the shoe vpart. Thus in both cases the cement coated margin of a piece of work is folded over 20 upon the body portion thereof. It has been proposed to use a cement which is normally non-sticky, but is adapted to become st cky upon being treated with a suitable softening agent-for example, heat; and the present 25 invention relates to folding sheet material with the use of such a cement.

In one aspect the invention comprises a method in which a, suitable softening agent is applied directly to the coating of cement dur- 30 ing the forming of the fold and prior to the ressing thereof. For example, heat may a plied in this manner to a cement which will become sticky when heated whereby the cementis thoroughly softened just prior to the pressing operation by which the cementcoated margin is pressed against the body portion of the work. Y

In another aspect the invention provides a folding machine having means for applying a suitable softening agent to the coating of cement in the mannerindicated above. In the illustrated machine the work is fed intermittently over a work support and successlve portions of the margins are acted upon, first by a folder which bends the margin from a horizontal position through something more than ninety degrees, thereby forming the fold, and then by a presser which presses the fold. In order hold the work 59 firmly upon the'work support during forma- 10mins xacimm to produce smooth, finished Y in the machine,

01' LYNN, IABSACHIIBE'ITB, ABS HINGE '10 UNITED SE 0 IA- OI PATEBSON, NEW JERSEY, A CQB-POBATION O1 use Serial m; mesa. tion of the fold as well as to define the line of the fold, a combined presser-foot and.

creaser engages the body portion of the work adjacent to the folder; This member is heated; and since the folder bends the mar- 'n of the work about the edge of this memer, heat is applied directly to the coating of cement upon said margin. Referring now to the accompanying drawig. 1 is a perspective of part of a folding machine embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the same parts viewed from a different angle, showing a piece of work in process of being operated upon,

Fig. 3 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation, also showing a piece .of work 4 is a perspective of a binding strip having upon one side a coating of cement which is adapted to become sticky when 4 heated,

Fig-5 is a perspective of a ortion of a shoe part to which the strip of iig. 4 has been sewed. The sort of work shown in this fi ure and the next is known as French binding, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective showing the folded work. Y I

The illustrated folding machine comprises a work support 11 located at the outer end of an arm 13 which extends horizontally above the bench upon which the machine is' mounted. Extending horizontally .over' the arm 13 is an overhanging arm 15; 'andthe work-engaging parts of the machine are carried by these two arms. I Thesework-engaging parts comprise an edge guide 17 a combined presser-foot and creaser 19 tween which and an intermittently moved block 21 the body portion of the'work is fed intermittently, a folder 23 which reciproeates i longitudinally in an inclined path from a position below the level ofthe work tothe position shown in Fig. 3 to bend the margin of the work about the adjacent edge of the member 19 so as to form the fold, and a cooperating hammer ;25 and anvil 27 which act bothto press the fold and to feed the work.

The anvil 27 moves to and fro substantially in the direction of feed movement. The hammer has a four-motion movement. It descends upon the folded-over mar of the work when the anvil is close to t e folding finger 23, as it is shown in Fig. 2, so as to press the fold and grip the work; then the hammer and anvil move together away from the folder 23 to feed the work one step,.whereupwardly the work is gripped firmly between it and a roll 29, which is rotatably mounted in the member 19, said roll being provided so as to permit the member 19 to ride easily over thick portions of the work. The member 19 has a thin edge about which the folder 23, when it rises to the positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3, bends the margin of the work. The guide 17 is carried at one end of a lever 31 pivoted about a stud 33 carried by a bracket 34 which is fast to the overhanging arm 15, the other end of the lever having a finger-piece 35 by which the lever may be 5 depressed against the force of a tension spring37, when it is desired to raise the guide 17. Also pivoted about the stud 33 is a carrier 39 in the outer end of which the combined work-presser and fold-creaser 19 is mounted. Fastened to the outer end of the carrier 39 is a small bracket 41 between which and the carrier 39 is slidably received the upright flat stem 119 of the member 19. A spring-pressed plunger 43, carried by the bracket 41, contacts with a shoulder on the member 19 and urges said member downwardly at all times. In order to limit the extent of this downward movement, a set- ,screw 45 is threaded through the bent upper end of the stem 119 and contacts with the carrier 39. This carrier 39 has a finger-piece 47 by which it may be rocked, when desired, to raise the member 19. It is also connected by means of a rod 49 to a treadle (not shown) so that the operator may raise the member 19 by depressing the treadle if preferred.

The illustrated mechanism for operating the anvil 27, the hammer 25, the folder 23 and the block 21 is the same as in the machine disclosed in application Serial N 0. 566,643 filed June 7, 1922, in the name of P. R. Glass, now Patent No. 1,702,598. The construction of the combined .presser-foot and creaser 19 is somewhat different from that of the correspondin member of the machine set forth in the app ication, but the two members perform the same functions of pressing upon the the work.

to the shoe part 300'by'a row of" stitches 400' which pass through the uncoated portion of the strip 100, one purpose of leaving-part of the strip uncoated being to facilitate the stitching operation; since, if the whole side of the strip were coated, the cement would tend to collect upon the needle'of the sewing machine and interfere with the sewing operation. Fig. '5 shows the work as it comes to the folding machine operator. Before this work. is presented to the machine the free portion of the strip is commonly pulled out more or less into a position approximating parallel-v ism with respect to the plane of the sheet material 300; and then the guide 17 and presser-foot 19 areraised, and the leadingend. of the work placed in the machine. Thereafter the work is fed through the machine, and the free portion of the strip 200 progressively folded about the edge of the material and the edge of the creaser by the folder 23, and pro-. I

gressively pressed intoplaceby the hammer It is desirable, as has been explained above, to use a cement which is normally not sticky but is adapted to be rendered sticky by the application of heat. In order to-provide for folding workthe margin of which carries a coating of cement of this kind, the machine is provided with means for heating the member 19. Tothis end,.a sleeve 51 (Fig. 3) is;

placed over the screw 45. -This sleeve fits within a bore in the lower portion of a casing 53, the lower end of which rests upon thehorizontally bent portion of the stem 119. of

the member 19. Located within this casing is an electric heat unit 55 to the terminals ofwhich are attached the usual conductors 57 and 58.

With this construction the combined presser-foot and creaser may be heated without heating to any appreciable extent the remaining parts of the machine which engage the work. Moreover, inasmuch as the margin of the work (the free portion of the binding strip in the illustrated-work) is bent aboutthe edge of the creaser portion of the member 19 during the forming of the fold, heat'is applied directlv to the cement on the margin of tion of the work upon whichjthe cemented it should also be noted that the surface of the margin is subsequently pressed;-

By thus applying heat to the'work through a member which e'xtends into the angle bez warmed and a tween the bent-up margin and the body portion of the work, both the coating of cement upon the margin and the surface against which the margin is. to be pressed may more, the heat is localized at the point at which it is needed. The cement is thus rendered stickyonly at the desired locality and at the proper time; and the work-engaging arts, other than the member 19, remain cool, 1t being particularly advantageous that the hammer should be cool so as to aid in quickly setting the cement.

Although, for purposes of brevity,the invention has been described in connection with the folding of a piece of French binding coated along its margin with a cement which becomes sticky when heated, it should be understood that the invention is not limited in the scope of its application to this particular sort of work or cement.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The method of folding a flexible piece of work which comprises coating a margin thereofwith a. cement which is normally not sticky but may be rendered sticky by application of a softening agent, bending the margin to form a fold, applying a softening agent directly to the coating of cement on the bent margin, and thereafter pressing-the bent margin upon the body portion of the work. I

2. The method of folding a flexible piece of work which comprises coating'a margin thereof with a cement which is normally not sticky but may be rendered sticky by application of a softening agent, progressively bending the margin to form a fold, applying a softening agent directly to the coating of cement on the bent margin, and thereafter progressively pressing the bent margin upon the body portion of the work.

3. The method of folding a flexible piece of work which comprises coating a margin thereof with a cement which is normally not sticky but may be rendered sticky by the application of heat, bending the margin to form a fold, applying heat directly to the coating of cement on the bent margin, and pressing the bent portion of the margin upon the body portion of the work. v

4. The method of folding a flexible piece of work which comprises coating a margin thereof with a cement which is normally not sticky but may be rendered sticky by the application of heat, rogressively bending the margin to form a old, applying heat'direcfl m ly to the coating of cement on the bent margin and progressively pressing the bent portion of the margin upon the body portion ofthe work.

5. The method of folding the margin of a flexible piece of work over upon a face of thereof with a cement which is normally not stic but may be rendered sticky by the be apphcation of heat, bending the margin to rm bond obtained. Furtherthereof with a cement which is normally not" sticky but may be rendered stic by the application of heat, rogressively ndin margin to form a old, applying heat directly to that face of the work against which the. bent margin is to be pressed, and -progressively pressing the margin upon the heated body portion of the work.

7. The method of treating a piece of sheet material which comprises attaching to a margin of the material a binding strip having upon art or all of one side thereof a coatin 0 cement which is normally not sticky ut may be rendered sticky by the application of heat, bending the stri about the edge of the material to form a fol applying heat directly to the cement on that portion of the binding in which the fold, is being formed, and pressing .the folded strip upon the margin of the sheet material.

8. The method of treating a. piece of sheet material which comprises attaching to a margin of the material a binding strip having upon part or all of one side thereof a, coating 0 cement which is normally not sticky but.

may be rendered sticky by the application of heat, progressively bendlng the strip about the the folded strip upon the margin of the sheet material.

9. The method of treating a piece of sheet material which comprises attaching to the margin of the material a binding strip adapted to be folded over upon a face of the sheet material, said strip having upon part or allv of one side thereof a coating of cement which is normally not sticky'but may be rendered sticky by the application of heat, bending the strip about the edge of the sheet material to form a fold, applying heat directly to that face of the sheet material against which the strip is to be pressed, and pressing the folded strip upon the margin of the sheet material;

10. The method of treating a piece of sheet material which comprises attaching .to the 1 5 margin of the material a binding strip adapted to be folded over upon aface of the sheet material, said strip having upon part or all of one side thereof a coating of cement which is normally not sticky but may be rendered sticky by the application of heat, progres sively bending the strip about the edge of the sheet material to form a fold, applymg heat directly to that face of the sheet material against which the strip is to be ressed, and progressively pressing the folde strip upon the margin of the sheet material.

11. A machine for operating upon a piece of work, which is provided along its margin with a band of cement adapted to be rendered sticky by the application of heat, having in combination a support for the work, means for bending the mar in to form a fold, means for applying heat directly to that side of the bent margin which carries the cement, and means for pressing the bent margin upon the body portion of the work.

12. A machine for operating upon a piece of work, which is provided, along its mar with a band of cement adapted to be rendered sticky by the application of heat, having in combination a support for the work, means for progressively bending the margin to form a fold, means for applying heat dlrectly to that side of the bent margin which carries the cement, and means for rogressively pressing the bent margin upon t e body portion of the work.

13. A machine for operating upon a piece of work, which is provided, along its margin with a band of cement adapted to be rendere sticky by the application of heat, having in combination a support for the work, means for bending the margin into a position in which it may be pressed upon a face of the work, means for applying heat directly to that face of the work against which the bent margin is to be pressed, and means for pressing the bent margin upon the body portion of the work.

14. A machine for operating upon a piece of work, which is provided, along its margin, with a band of cement adapted to be rendered sticky by the application of heat, having in combination a support for the work, means for progressively bending the margin into a ition in which it may be pressed upon a iifc e of the work, means for applying heat directly to that face of the wor a inst which the bent margin is to be presse and means for progresslvely pressing the bent margin upon the body portion of the work.

15. A machine for operating upon a piece of work, which is provided, along its margin, with a band of cement adapted to be rendered sticky by the application of heat, having in combination a support over which the work is fed, means for forming a fold in the work means for pressing the fold, and a heated foot for engaging the body portion of the work in advance of the pressing means.

16. A machine for operating upon a piece of work, which is provided, along its margin with a band of cement adapted to be rendered sticky by the application of heat, having in combination a support over which the work is which has on its margin cement adapted to be rendered sticky by heat having in combination a support over which the work is fed a folder for forming a fold in the margin 0 the work, a Presser-foot for holding the work down upon the support during the o eration of the folder, means for heating the oot, and means for pressin the fold.

. 18. A machine or folding a piece of work which has on its margin cement adapted to be rendered sticky by heat having in combination a support over which the work is fed a folder for forming a fdld in the margin of the work, a creaser arranged to en age the work close to the desired line of t e fold. means for heating said creaser, and means for pressing the fold. 1

19. A machine for folding a piece of work which has on its margin cement adapted to be rendered sticky by the application of heat having in combination a work support, means for bending the margin of the work to form the fold, a member arranged to extend into the angle between the bent margin and the body portion of the work, means for heating :aig member, and means for pressing the 20. The method of folding a flexible piece of work comprising a iece of material to which is attached a binding strip coated with a cement which is normall not stick but may be rendered sticky by t e application of heat, said method consisting in progressively bending the strip about the edge of the material, progressively applying heat directly to the coating of cement on the bent strip and progressively pressing the bent strip down upon the material.

21. A machine for operating upon a piece of work, which is provided along its margin with a coating of cement adapted to be rendered sticky by the application of heat, having, in combination, a support for the work, means for bending the margin of the work into a position at an angle to the body portion thereof, a heated member adapted to extend into the angle and to apply heat directly to the coating of cement and directly to the upper face of the work in the locality against which the bent margin is to be pressed, and means for feeding the work and for pressing the bent margin upon the body portion of the work.

22. The method of applying French binding tape to the edges of shoe uppers and the like comprising applying heat plastic adhesive to a tape, stitching the tape along one longitudinal edge thereof to the material to be bound adjacent the edge of the material, the adhesive being in a cold substantially non-tacky state, then directin heat to the tape thus stitched to the material and forth- 5 with passing the material with tape attached through a folding means whereby the tape is folded around an edge of the material and secured adhesively thereto before the heat plastic adhesive becomes cool and non-tacky. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this sgecification.

RGE E.. WILLIAMSON. 

